Rome Grand Prix confirmed for 2013

Formula 1 commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone has confirmed that there will be a Rome GP from 2013 onwards. This will see the F1 calendar expanding to 20 races, the highest ever.

Last year, it seemed that Ecclestone was drifting away from the idea of having a street race in Rome, but a deal seems to have been made, according to Ecclestone:

"Rome will come into the programme for 2013. We will have 20 races
and the teams will be happy with it."

Another street circuit, oh goody. That was Monaco’s idea, now we already have 4 imitations (Canada and Australia technically count), and there’s another one on the horizon. Only 2 of these races are any good, and Ecclestone doesn’t seem to like either of them. I’m sure you’re wondering will this circuit be able to match Canada and Australia, and here’s your answer: It’s being designed by Herman Tilke. You know what that means.

Even if the tifosi come out in force (almost definitely), I can’t see this circuit having any heart in it, and I’m saying this a year before we will even see drafts of the track design.

But, there’s a much more serious problem. The organisers of this race, and many others, seem to be implying that this is an attack on the Monza race. I can’t find a link for this, but I will add it as a separate post in due course. In summary, the organisers want only 1 Italian Grand Prix,and of course it’s the Roman one. I’m telling you now, if Monza if thrown off, Ecclestone is a dead man. Not by me, of course, by the thousands – millions, even- of livid Italians living in the north. This will hardly end well.